Rice Bowl Appreciation Day
by OwlinAMinor
Summary: When Kyou discovers Tohru's birthday is in 4 days and she hasn't told anyone, he plans a surprise party for her ... with interesting results.  Two-shot - NOW THREE-SHOT!  Kyohru.
1. Because You're Annoying

**RICE BOWL APPRECIATION DAY**

**CHP 1: Because You're Annoying ...**

**Fruits basket is officially my favorite anime/manga. And Tohru/Kyo is probably my favorite pairing in the anime/manga. So during a long drive today, listening to some Coldplay, I was brainstorming possible Tohru/Kyo scenarios, and came up with this. Then, because I couldn't sleep, I typed it up!**

**I'm proud of myself. Over 2,000 words! :D**

**Anyways ... the story is basically about Tohru's surprise birthday party. Chapter 1 is Kyo planning it, and is in Kyo's POV. This takes place the first May after the anime ends. It's a two-shot, by the way.  
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**BEWARE: DANGEROUS DISCLAIMER! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK: I couldn't draw manga if my life depended on it. Therefore, I'm not responsible for the awesomeness that is Fruits Basket - ****Natsuki Takaya is. Other things I don't own and who owns them: Kyo fangirlism (my friend Lilah aka FlyingSolo365), the idea of exploding a pen (also Lilah), cramming for math tests (everyone BUT me - I don't study for them at all), and the birthday of May 12th (my mom).**

**Enjoy! And don't die before you finish reading it! Because that ... would suck.**

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"Hey, Hana?" I whispered to the ebony-haired girl sitting next to me.

"I sense that you have something important to ask me," she answered, not even looking up from her reading.

"No duh," I retorted.

"Well, make it quick. I have a math test to cram for."

I sighed, resisting the urge to yell at her some more - something Master had taught me. "When's Tohru's birthday?"

"Why do you ask?" Hana wondered, flipping a page.

"Just curious," I said with a shrug. Which was true - it was something I'd been wondering about for no apparent reason for the past week or so. I guess I didn't have anything to think about, so my brain began generating random questions for me to ponder. The first one was the date of Tohru's birthday. The second one was how to explode an ink pen, and what would happen if you did. But for some reason, I got the feeling that exploding an ink pen would be a bad idea ... and gut feelings are usually right. Except when they're not, which is about half the time.

Anyways ...

"If you must know, it's May 12th," the creepy electric girl told me.

"WHAT?" I screeched. "That's in four days! Why didn't she tell us?"

She snickered, still looking at her book. "You sound like a cat who just learned his milk got stolen. And to answer your question, Tohru usually celebrated her birthday with her mother, who, as you know, died last May, after Tohru's birthday. This would be only the second time she's growing a year older without her mom there to see it. It's no wonder she didn't tell you - she probably doesn't want anyone making a fuss over her."

I almost responded with "OF COURSE I sound like a cat! I AM a cat!" but then remembered that Hana didn't know, so instead settled for, "Of course. Typical Tohru. Suffer in silence while worrying over everyone's feelings but her own."

"Then why don't you do something nice for her for a change? She's always doing nice things for you," Hana pointed out.

"HEY! YOU TWO! Get back to reading!" hollered our English teacher, leaving Hana with her cramming and me with my thoughts of Tohru before I could interrogate the psycho more.

* * *

"Shi - Shigure?" I stammered, approaching the dog-man as he typed on his laptop that afternoon, supposedly working on his novel (supposedly being the key word there).

"Yeeeeeees?" he replied.

"Could I possibly ... I mean, would you mind if I ... I mean, would you not kill me if ..."

"Cat got your tongue?" he interrupted.

"... could I host a party here on Friday night?" I finished, ignoring the jibe. This was more important that Shigure's insults (though, of course, I stored the comment in my brain for later punishment - that is, if I didn't loose it in the endless maze of my brain first).

"_You_ want to host a _party_?" Shigure looked up, more surprised than he was the time Ayami cross-dressed in a short skirt.

"Well, it's Tohru's birthday on Friday and I want to throw her a surprised party," I explained hastily.

"Ohhhh..." he said, a grin spreading across his face - the bad kind, not the good kind. "You want to do something nice for your Tohru. Our little Kyoun-Kyoun is growing up so fast ..."

"SHE'S NOT MY TOHRU!" I yelled, angrier than a pissed Black Haru.

"Oh?" The evil son-of-a-bitch raised an eyebrow. "Is she Yuki's then?"

* * *

"Helloooooooooo?" I called into the courtyard of the main house an hour later. "Anybody home?"

After beating Shigure senseless (or, you know, punching his chest, kicking through the doors when he tried to escape, and getting banished from the house as a result - but it's technically the same thing) I had decided to come here in search of help planning Tohru's surprise party. Being the complete opposite of an expert party planner (I'd never even _been_ to a birthday party before, let alone planned one) I needed more help than Shigure's perverted mind needed.

Unfortunately for any high school girl he happens upon, Shigure's perverted mind is incurable of its perverted ideas.

Anyways ...

I scanned the courtyard, looking for someone who could help me. Hari, maybe. Or Haru. But all I saw were wood houses decorated in cherry blossoms a color that made my stomach turn for the upcoming spring festival, a few trees in full bloom, also with the disgusting blossoms, and the path to the main house. The sky was a cloudless pale blue, and it was warm enough for me not to be chilly in a T-shirt.

"Hi, Kyo! What're you doing here?" asked a voice from behind me.

"Aaah!" I jumped a couple feet in the air like a scared rabbit. Which was ironic, because the person behind me could turn into a rabbit.

"Momigi! Didn't you ever learn not to sneak up on people?" I lectured the uniform-clad first year.

He giggled. "That was funny, Kyo. So why're you here?"

"Your face is funny," I retorted, for lack of a better comeback.

"Yay!" he clapped. "That's a good thing, right?"

... And people call _me_ stupid?

Too amazed by Momigi's idiocy to punch him, I explained why I was there. "I'm looking for help planning a surprise party for Tohru. Her birthday's on Friday."

"Ooooh! A surprise party! Can I help? Can I? Can I?"

If he got any more annoying, I swear I'd have to murder him ...

"We can have decorations and balloons and music and dancing and cake and presents and it'll all be PINK! Pink pink pink! Because pink's my favorite color! It's the best color in the world! Don't you-"

And that was when he stopped talking. Because, obviously, I had him in a headlock.

"Don't even _think_ about that ... that ... worthless excuse for a color around me," I snarled.

He nodded. Or at least, I think he did. His face was turning the color of the sky too fast for me to tell.

When I finally released him, his visage was bluer than a ripe blueberry.

"Waaaaaah! Kyo hurt me!" he whined.

"Momigi, I think you deserved it. But Kyo, try not to kill him next time, okay?" came a tiny, sweet voice from near my stomach.

"Aah!" I bounced into the air again. "Kisa, you scared me," I said, bending down to see the tiger-girl in her navy-and-white uniform with her tiny backpack strapped to her back. Her light-blond hair was longer now - it fell below her shoulders, framing her face. Soon she'd be able to make pigtails.

"Hi, Kisa! We're planning Tohru's surprise party!" Momigi exclaimed.

"No, _I'm_ planning Tohru's surprise party. You aren't helping," I corrected him.

His face fell like a stone in a bucket of water. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm positive."

"Fine," he pouted. "But I'm still coming to the party."

"I'll help you plan Sissy's party," Kisa offered. "I went to a party last weekend, so I know what to do."

"That's great!" I replied. Which it was - great that I had help from a mostly non-annoying person (Kisa was a cute kid, she didn't cause trouble like, say, her friend the sheep-boy) and great that Kisa seemed to be making some friends at her school.

"How come she gets to help and not me?" the rabbit-boy whined. (Is it just me, or is that all he ever does?)

"Because you're annoying," I answered. Turning to Kisa, I asked, "So what do we do first?"

"First you need to make invitations ..."

* * *

"How does this streamer look?" Uo called down at me from where she was standing on a chair, putting up decorations with the world's most useful tool (Aka duct tape). After four days of hard planning on my part and tons of advice on Kisa's, as well as a few calls to the party store (There's an entire _store_ just for parties! Who knew?) and the bakery, the party was finally here.

"Not good enough," I replied.

"You didn't even look at it!"

"I didn't have to! Anything you did automatically isn't good enough. I want everything to be _perfect_ for Tohru."

"Oh yeah?" the Yankee retorted. "Anything I do isn't good enough? Come and say that to my face, stupid cat!" Even though Uo didn't know why Yuki and Shigure called me "stupid cat", she seemed to think it suited me and used the nickname frequently. So frequently that I sometimes doubted that the actually knew my real name.

"It looks fine to me." Speak of the devil, there was Shigure himself. "Though it won't if you two start fighting."

"Good point," Uo agreed, hopping down from the chair to survey her work.

"Kisa!" I yelled. "Come over here!"

"What is it, Kyo?" she asked - from behind me.

"GAH!" Startled, I leaped onto the chair Uo had just abandoned. "You have to stop doing that!"

"Sorry," she giggled. "What did you want?"

"Um ..." I wracked my brains for a second, then remembered.

"Do you have the checklist?"

The tiger-girl nodded. "Wanna go through it?"

"Duh."

"Okay ... decorations?"

"Check," Uo said triumphantly.

"Music?"

"Check," came Yuki's voice from beneath the table where the boom box was resting. "As soon as I figure out where this cable goes."

"Cake?"

"Check," Hana called from the kitchen.

"Presents?"

"Check!" Momigi exclaimed jubilantly, pointing to a table stacked high witih boxes of varying shapes, sizes, and colors.

"Guests?"

"Check," replied Hari.

"Okay, that's it," Kisa told me.

I shook my head. "No, you're forgetting something."

"What?" she asked, tilting her head sideways in confusion.

"Perverts!" I shouted.

"Check!" Shigure and Ayami shouted back from the other side of the room, where they were doing who knows what.

"See, they even admit it!" I announced. "They really are perverts. Not that we actually need them," I added to Kisa, who giggled. I hoped she didn't know what the word meant, or else I'd probably be in trouble.

"She's coming!" yelled Hatsuharu from his post by the door, where he'd been watching for Tohru to come home from work.

"Everybody hide," I stage-whispered. Haru switched off the lights, and we all dove for cover, except Yuki, who was still under the table. (Who knows how he'd get out. Though if he stayed there the rest of his life, that was fine by me ...) I heard a crash and an "Ow! Who put that there?" as Uo hit a chair, and then there was complete silence.

It was as if the world held its breath as Tohru's silhouette quietly slid open the front door, removed her shoes, and stepped inside, yawning.

But another sound was emanating from her ... a sniffling, whimpering sound ... was she ... was Tohru Honda ... crying?

Well, she wouldn't be crying for much longer.

I held up a fist into the only lamp that had been left on - the signal for Haru to switch back on the lights and all of us to yell:

"Surprise! Happy birthday!"

* * *

**Because I'm in a , I'll probably write chapter 2 tonight. I might even type it up tonight. Chapter 2 will be about the party, and it will be Tohru's POV. (There will also be more descriptions about what the decorations and whatnot look like in that chapter.)**

**If you don't review, I'll give Shigure and Ayami the addresses of you and every high school girl you know/are friends with/are related to.**

**BE SCARED. BE VERY SCARED.**

**REVIEW!  
**

**... Please? **

**:)  
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	2. And She's Amazing

**RICE BOWL APPRECIATION DAY**

**CHP 2: ... And She's Amazing**

**Reminder: This chapter is from Tohru's POV.**

**I still don't own Fruits Basket.**

**Enjoy! :)**

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Today, I turned sixteen.

But I didn't get any presents. I didn't have any parties. I didn't read any birthday cards. Nobody even wished me a happy birthday.

Not that I wanted anything different.

I simply got up, fixed breakfast, tidied up the house, went to school, ran errands came home, fixed dinner, and went to work. Basically, I acted like it was a normal day.

Nobody knew today was my birthday, and that was the way I liked it.

One week after my birthday two years ago was the day my mother died. This was only the second time I'd gotten a year older without my mom there to watch, and it wasn't any easier than the first time. I couldn't stand thinking that I was a different person than the one my mom had left, a sixteen-year-old now when my mom had left a fourteen-year-old … but on my birthday, thoughts like that were inevitable. I wish she hadn't died. I wish she could be here to watch me grow older.

These thoughts circulated around my mind like the winds of a tornado as I slowly tramped through the woods on the way to Soma house, quietly slid open the paper doors, stepped inside, and removed my scuffed, too-small work shoes. Pitch-black except for a single lamp shining, the main room seemed abandoned. I guessed that everyone had gone to bed early.

_Nobody waited up for me, not even on my birthday,_ I thought sadly. _But then_, I reminded myself, _they didn't know it was my birthday._

At least, I didn't _think_ they knew.

"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Suddenly, the room was flooded with light. Squinting against the brightness, I could make out smiling faces, streamers, balloons, multicolored boxes that were probably presents, and a giant banner that proclaimed "Happy birthday. Tohru!"

It was a party. A surprise party. For me.

I knew I should be grateful, or excited, or happy, or at the very least surprised, but all I could think was, _It's not a party if mom's not here._

Next thing I knew, my face was blinded by tears and I was charging back out into the woods, my bare feet cracking twigs and my hair flowing out behind me like a mane. Tripping over a branch, I stumbled into a tree and huddled there, sobbing, my hands over my face in a futile attempt to block the tears.

I don't know how long I was curled up beside that tree before I noticed a hand on my back and looked up to find Kyo gazing at me, his emerald cat-like eyes flashing with something … anger, determination … and something else I couldn't identify.

"S-s-sorry," I choked out.

"Don't be," he replied, seeming to loose his nerve and instead stare at his feet, which were also bare. "I'm sorry. I was trying to do something nice for you, but … I probably should've realized that you wouldn't like the party."

"No, I –"

"You don't want to celebrate your birthday without your mom there, right?" Kyo interrupted. I nodded in spite of myself.

"Well, I hate to tell you this, but your mom's dead. She was dead, she is dead, and she will be dead." I let out a little gasp, and felt tears start flowing again. How could he talk about my mom like that? I knew she was … gone. He didn't have to be so harsh.

"No, I – I didn't mean it like that," he apologized, seeing my tears. "I meant that she's gone, and you have to accept that. You have to learn how to live your life without her haunting you all the time. Just because you've never celebrated your birthday without your mom before doesn't mean you can't learn how."

As much as I hated to admit it … Kyo was right. I'd lived so long with my mom, and then so long with her ghost, that I hadn't yet realized that I could live without her.

"Besides, it's not like you'll be celebrating your birthday without her," he continued. "She's probably watching us right now."

"Mom?" I whispered. A breeze ruffled the leaves of the tree above us, and I heard her saying, _"Just be yourself. You'll be fine." _as she had countless times before.

"Now come on back inside. I spent a lot of time planning this party for you, and you're going to have fun at it." The kind, wise edge to his voice had gone, and he was his normal, defiant, argumentative self again.

Shakily, I stood, wincing when a cut on my foot hit a stone. "You're right," I told him. "If someone goes to all the trouble of planning a party just for me, the least I could do is attend, right?"

Kyo grinned, and it suddenly hit me how cute he looked when he did that. Like a cat purring. "Obviously."

* * *

"Sissy, are you okay?" asked a small voice as I strode in the door to the party. My party.

"I was sad, but I'm fine now," I replied, giving Kisa a little hug. I hadn't seen her in a while, and she looked adorable in a flowery light green jumper.

"Do you like the decorations? I helped Uo put them up!" The tiger-girl was practically bouncing up and down in excitement.

I looked to where her finger was pointing, and my mouth dropped open. I probably looked like a gaping moron, but I couldn't help it.

It looked like a painter had spattered his oil paints on the main hall - only in a creative, artistic way. Dominating the room, stretching from one side of the room to the other, was a giant banner reading "Happy birthday Tohru!" in bold red letters. Surrounding it were streamers alternating pastel blue and green. Balloons of all the colors of the rainbow floated in the air, hung from various parts of the walls and ceiling. The dining table was piled high with boxes of all shapes, sizes, and colors. A side table had been pulled to the back of the room, and Yuki's boom box was resting on top of it. Another side table was the home of a huge chocolate cake with icing the color of roses and a stack of paper plates. Scattered around the hall were all the people I had come to befriend in the time since I began living with the Somas - Shigure, Yuki, Momigi, Haru, Hari, Ayami, and Kisa - as well as Uo and Hana.

"It's beautiful," I breathed.

Kyo, who had come up behind me, mumbled something. "What did you say?" I asked.

"Not as beautiful as you," he muttered.

I could feel my face turning beet-red.

Kyo thought I was beautiful?

But before I had time to ponder this new development more, I was being pulled towards the present pile. "Come on, Tohru, you have to open your presents!" Momigi exclaimed.

"Are all these for me?" I questioned in awe.

The rabbit-boy laughed. "Of course they are! Who else would they be for? Now open mine!" He pressed a small box wrapped in pink paper covered with balloons into my hands. Carefully tearing the paper so as not to damage it, I revealed an elegant silver bracelet with a heart charm on it.

"Do you like it? Do you?" he asked.

"I love it!" I replied. "It's wonderful! Thank you so much!"

* * *

For the next ten minutes, I did something I'd never before done in my life: opened presents. I loved each present I got more than the last, and sincerely thanked the giver of each. Besides the silver bracelet from Momigi, I got a cell phone from Shigure ("So that if you need someone to pick you up, you can call"), a new dress from Ayami, a book on the history of the Chinese Zodiac from Hari, a home-made pencil case from Kisa, a coupon for 50% off at the nearest restaurant from Haru ("So you can get off cooking dinner for a couple nights"), a beautiful lavender-colored watch and the promise to help me with homework whenever I needed it from Yuki, a fantasy-adventure novel from Hana ("My senses tell me you'll enjoy it"), and a new purse from Uo ("Your old one was getting worn").

Soon, the only thing left on the table besides a few extra scraps of wrapping paper and ribbon was a single white envelope with the words "For Tohru" scrawled on it in Kyo's lopsided handwriting.

_I wonder what this is,_ I thought, picking it up and reaching within it. Inside was a simple card with a black-and-white calligraphy drawing of a cat holding a flower in its mouth, gazing out at me. I opened the card and saw these words:

_"Note: Please, please, PLEASE don't read this out loud. I'd probably end up murdering someone if you did._

_Tohru,_

_I didn't know what to get you for your birthday. I knew I should get you something great, because you've been a great friend to me. You're probably the first person who ever really accepted me. And that means a lot. So I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to get you, but in the end, I decided to give you the same kind of thing you gave me._

_Friendship._

_I know that sounds lame, but I want you to know that I won't ever do anything to hurt you or anyone you care about (except that damn rat). I'll help you, and believe in you, and support you, whatever you do. I'll try to be a better person, for you._

_Thanks for accepting me._

_And happy birthday._

_- Kyo_

_P.S. There is one exception to what I wrote above - I'm still not eating any leeks, no matter how long they take you to make."_

I couldn't help myself. I spun on my heel, raced across the room to where Kyo was lurking in the corner, and threw my arms around him.

"Did you really have to do that?" he yelled from the floor, his bright-orange cat fur standing on end.

"Sorry! I wasn't thinking! I didn't mean to!" I stammered.

"What is it that Kyo gave you that set off such a reaction?" Shigure mused, picking up the card.

"Don't you dare," Kyo warned, leaping across the room to pounce on the dog-man's head.

"Okay, okay! I get it! No looking!"

"You better get it, or I'll -"

"Um ... Kisa? What did you have planned for us to do next?" I questioned the tiger-girl, hoping to distract Shigure and Kyo before they started fighting.

"We have to dance!" she exclaimed. "So we'll be hungry for cake later."

"Well, I'm not very good at dancing, but I'll try." I pulled her out into the middle of the room, where a space had been cleared for dancing. Yuki, who'd been appointed DJ (his mp3 player had the largest selection), started up some music, to which Kisa and I twirled around the room.

"Come on, everyone!" Kisa urged. "Dance!"

* * *

By the time half and hour had gone by, I'd danced with almost everyone. After Kisa and I finished dancing, twirling around like little girls, Momigi showed me how to waltz. Shigure claimed me next, teasing me in the way that an older brother might. Uo, Hana, and I danced together in a little circle for a while, laughing at each other's awkwardness. After some persuasion, Yuki left his post next to the boom box and danced with me. He was a surprisingly excellent dancer, moving perfectly in time to the rhythm. I thought I looked like a baboon in comparison, but he assured me that I was doing fine.

Tired after so much bouncing, twirling, and waltzing, I was about to take a break to locate Shigure's camera and take some pictures when a voice from behind me quietly asked, "May I have this dance?"

Spinning around, I found myself locked in Kyo's gaze, and for a second, I forgot my name, my goals, my homework ...

What had he been asking me again?

_If you wanted to dance,_ some part of my brain reminded me.

Oh, right.

"Of course," I replied.

Nervously, as if handling delicate china, Kyo placed his hands on my waist. I put my arms around his neck, cautious not to squeeze too hard (which would turn him back into a cat). Slower than snails, we commenced swaying in time to the music. By some twist of fate, it happened to be a slow dance. His hands on my waist were warm, comforting, reassuring in a way that nothing I'd ever felt before was. Dancing with him just felt ... right in some way.

Unfortunately, our dancing was noticed.

"Hey, Kyo," Shigure called. "Didn't that master of yours ever teach you how to dance?"

"No," Kyo said through clenched teeth.

"He wasn't a very good master, then."

"Don't talk about my master -"

"Kyo." I held him back. "Please try not to fight."

For a moment, he stood stoically, fists clenched, then sighed in submission. We resumed dancing, and an awkward silence fell, unless you count the music softly droning away.

I attempted to make small talk to break the silence. "This party really is wonderful."

"Yep."

Okay, that didn't really work. I tried again. "I'm so happy."

"I'm glad," he murmured, his head on my shoulder. How had it got there? I guess I hadn't been paying attention ... or maybe I'd been paying too much attention to the way he felt, pressed in close to me ...

"Really? You are?"

"Mmhmm."

"I can't believe you planned this all for me," I said in awe. I really couldn't believe that anyone would do something so kind for me, just for me. _I'm the luckiest girl alive_, I thought to myself. _It's like Rice Bowl Appreciation Day or something, the way everyone is acting - they're treating me like I'm special. Nobody's ever done that for me before. Except mom ..._

Kyo pulled back to look me straight in the eyes. In his, I could plainly read determination and courage, his best qualities. And I knew, more surely than I'd ever known anything in my entire life, that he was about to say something that would change my life forever.

"I'd do anything for you, Tohru Honda." And that was when he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine.

* * *

**Say it with me: AAAAWWWW! **

**Chapter 1 was more humor, and chapter 2 is more romance/fluff. It's so cute! *fangirl squeal***

**So this is the end - I planned this as a two-shot, and it's staying a two-shot.**

**Aaron: But she does take bribery. Just thought you should know.  
**

**me: ... You're supposed to be asleep.**

**Aaron: So are you. Your point?**

**me: ... Touche. But even if you aren't asleep, why are you here? You're my OC for a completely original story! This is the author's note for a Fruits Basket fic!**

**Aaron: ... I'll just leave then ...**

**me: Good idea.**

**Reviews make the world go around! (With the help of duct tape, of course.) :D  
**


	3. And He's a King

**RICE BOWL APPRECIATION DAY**

**Chp 3: And He's a King**

**Well, aren't you guys the luckiest readers ever.**

**Not only did I write another chapter, but it's over 2,500 words! And it's pretty good, if I do say so myself (and I do).**

**Consider it a marginally late Christmas present, if you celebrate Christmas. :)**

* * *

Sometimes – okay, a lot of the time – my common sense vacates me like little kids flee their school on the last day.

Most of the time, when this happens, it ends up . . . badly.

But there are exceptions.

And this, I believe, is one of them.

* * *

Dancing with Tohru was probably the best, worst, most nerve-wracking, most romantic, most uncomfortable, most difficult, and most eye-opening experience of my life, all at the same time.

Watching Tohru from a distance most of the party, drinking in her laugh, her smile, her exclamations, and that happy glow in her eyes and wondering at the fact that I had made this happen was nothing compared to the feeling of having her head resting on my shoulder as we swayed to the beat of the music. Tohru was . . . indescribable. I'm not a poet or anything, but I'll try to do her justice . . . Iridescent. Glowing. Beautiful. Perfect, genuine smile. Soft luscious hair. Warm heart that I imagined I could feel beating against mine. It was like we were in our own tiny bubble, the rest of the party around us like a huge ocean, inconsequential to our bubble. But one wrong word . . . and the bubble would pop.

Somehow, dancing with her just felt right in a way I couldn't describe.

Suddenly, she broke our relaxing silence.

"This party really is wonderful."

Surprised at the first words either of us had spoken in a while, I responded with something really intelligent, like "Yep."

She tried again, probably trying to initiate a conversation. Tohru always was talkative.

"I'm so happy."

"I'm glad," I replied. And I was – I'd organized this for her, made it perfect for her, persuaded her to come enjoy it . . . her being happy made all my efforts worthwile.

Sheesh. I think I don't think of her as a "really good friend" any more.

"Really?" Tohru asked, a bit startled.

"Mmmhmm," I murmured, mulling over my new realization. Well, I was slow dancing with Tohru and enjoying it. That should imply I . . . like-like her, right? I honestly had no clue. The disadvantages to spending half your life alone with a master, learning martial arts, I guess. You know next to nothing about . . . romance.

"I can't believe you did all this for me," Tohru whispered, gazing into my eyes like she never wanted to look away.

I never wanted to look away, either. I wanted to lose myself in her eyes. I wanted to lose myself in the feel of her hands on my waist . . . in her lips . . . in the feel of her body on mine . . .

_Someone's getting horny,_ teased my testosterone.

_You love her,_ my heart told me.

_We're taking a vacation. See you next month,_ said my inhibitions.

_Mwuahahahaha! All is going according to plan! _cackled some weird writer fangirl. Don't ask me how she got into my head, I don't want to know.

"I'd do anything for you, Tohru Honda," I said, ignoring all the voices. And then I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers.

I promptly lost all ability to think except _Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit _. . .

At first, Tohru was reluctant, like she was surprised and a bit shocked, but after a few seconds of my lips gradually pressing deeper into her mouth, she began to press back, giving in to me. We were pulled together by some kind of invisible force field – only a good kind, not a bad kind. My hand somehow got to the back of her head, and her hands somehow entwined in my hair.

Everyone was probably staring at us. The music had probably stopped. The shock in the room was probably greater than that of readers everywhere when they discovered that Fang left Max.

(What? I can read, you know. And that _was_ a horrible ending for the book . . .)

Anyways . . .

_If I died right here, right now, I'd be happy, _I thought, once I regained that power (not an easy task, I can assure you – kissing someone is like getting a shot of every single powerful drug in existence at the same time).

_I'd do anything for you, Tohru. For this. I'd fight hundreds of people. I'd run around the world. I'd fly to Pluto. I'd try to be friends with Yuki. I'd babysit Momigi and that sheep kid. I'd –_

Click. Click. Click.

Either the CD player had just developed a bad case of static, or –

Click. Click. Click.

Or someone was taking pictures of us.

Click. Click. Click.

And by "someone", I mean Shigure.

Hell hath no fury like that of a boy photographed during the first time he ever kisses a girl – and a girl he likes, to boot.

Need I say more?

I sure as hell hope not.

* * *

"Kyo-kun?"

"GAH!" I whipped around to discover a dark, ominous-looking shape clambering up onto the roof where I had been lying, peacefully gazing up at the stars.

Okay, maybe not peacefully. At least, my thoughts were about as far from "peaceful" as you can get. Think "raging mixture of tornado, hurricane, thunderstorm, and blizzard" and you'll get the idea.

After I pummeled Shigure into unconciousness (contrary to popular belief, I wasn't stupid enough to actually kill him, though God knows I wanted to) I had retreated up here to be alone with my thoughts. Bad idea. Very bad idea. I didn't like my thoughts much more than I liked Shigure's perverted side.

I couldn't help thinking that Tohru was going to hate me now, just when I'd figured out that I . . . liked her. Not only had I kissed her without, I dunno, _asking_ or anything, but then Shigure had taken pictures of us and I beat him unconscious, which probably completely ruined her party. And Shigure wouldn't let me stay at his house any more, so I'd have to go back to the main house, which was even worse.

While my mind was raging, the dark shape was inching closer, sliding down the cold navy-colored slates of the roof.

"Did I startle you? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," it apologized.

Wait a second . . .

That wasn't a dark, ominous shape – it was Tohru!

_Tohru! _cheered my heart.

_I thought she hated me. Maybe she doesn't,_ exclaimed my optimism.

_She's probably coming up here to tell me she hates me,_ contradicted my pessimism.

The subject of most of my thoughts plunked down next to me – or at least, she attempted to. Her foot caught on a stray twig and she slid to the edge of the roof with a little cry. Luckily, I caught her and pulled her back by the tie of her white lace nightgown.

_Clumsy as ever_, I thought, smothering a half-smile.

"S-sorry," Tohru stammered.

"No, I'm sorry," I contradicted. "I probably ruined your party, didn't I?"

She turned to look at me, a bit surprised. For a moment, caught in the gaze of her brilliant eyes, I forgot my name, my family, my purpose in life . . . but then she turned her gaze at the stars, and the spell was broken.

So unfair that she could do this to me, when she was about to reject me.

She probably couldn't even bear to _look_ at me.

I couldn't take it any more.

"Just get it over with," I said harshly. "Tell me you hate me, that you never want to see me again, that you're going back to your grandfather, whatever. Just say what you need to say and leave me alone!"

My voice gradually crescendoed until I was yelling, my echoes shooting back at me like razor-sharp arrows that pierced my shell of bravery. _Leave me alone – alone – alone!_

It was like a tidal wave was crashing over me, pounding on me until I had to curl up into a ball, my head on my knees, my whole body shaking with sobs.

I was crying, I realized. When was the last time I'd cried?

I don't know how long I sat there, trembling, tears running down my face like a waterfall, depression making itself comfortable inside my head.

A small hand pressed cautiously against my shoulder. Reluctantly, I raised my head, feeling like a turtle emerging from its shell.

Beside me, looking at me with concern, like she actually cared about me, was Tohru.

I'd thought she'd left at my first outburst, and I'd never see her again.

But there she was.

_I don't deserve to even be friends with such an amazing person,_ I decided, wiping my eyes with the sleeve of my scratchy t-shirt.

"I . . . I don't . . . I don't hate you," she choked out. Her cheeks were stained with red and the tears in her eyes glowed in the moonlight.

She was crying . . . for me?

"Well, if you don't hate me, Shigure does." I tried to pretend she wasn't affecting me, wasn't punching my heart to bits and fixing it at the same time. It wasn't working.

"No . . . he doesn't," she replied, regaining her voice slowly.

"But . . . I beat him half to death!"

"He doesn't mind. Said he deserved it. Or maybe that a fight did him good. Something like that. It's probably good that Hatori was around." Tohru giggled, an odd sound in the midst of all these tears.

What? Shigure didn't hate me? But someone . . . _someone_ had to! Otherwise I'd have no excuse for this whole crying thing. And in that case, good-bye, manliness.

"Yuki then." He always had some reason to hate me.

"Huh?" she asked. "Why would he hate you?"

More than he usually does? "Probably because I kissed you before he got the chance."

There. I said it. I said it out loud – I kissed her. I made real something that I was planning to reserve for daydreams. That took more bravery than I'd expected it to.

But Tohru just shook her head. "Actually, no. He said he thought it was brave of you, that he never would've been able to find the courage to tell someone his feelings like that."

Yuki . . . said . . . I was brave? What alternate reality did I just get thrown into?

"And besides," she added, "Yuki doesn't like me that way. He likes someone else."

"Oh."

Was today International Shock Kyo Day or something? It sure as hell felt like it.

For a few minutes, we just stared at the moon and the stars. It was a beautiful night, actually – the sky was clear and you could see more stars than usual. They shone down on us, a faraway audience to this night – the best and worst of my life at the same time.

Of course, the bigger beauty was sitting beside me.

"You know, you're a really kind person, Kyo-kun," she said suddenly, catching me off-guard.

"Me? Kind?" I exclaimed. "Are you confusing me with Yuki or something?"

I don't think I realized it then, but that was the first time I'd ever called Yuki kind. He was, though. He had this uncanny knack for sensing what someone needed, and then giving it to them in a way that didn't seem like charity.

"Well, Yuki didn't throw me a surprise party," she replied matter-of-factly. "You did."

Okay, but . . .

"But Yuki's a prince!"

Tohru swiveled around to look me straight in the eyes so I knew she wasn't lying, and then she told me what was probably the most amazing thing I'd ever heard in my entire life:

"If Yuki's a prince, then you're a king."

Without a doubt, today was International Shock Kyo Day.

Blown away by what she'd just said, I stammered into a comeback.

"If I'm a king, then you're a goddess. A kind, benevolent, wonderful, beautiful goddess that – " I broke off. Her eyes were shining so radiantly, so much brighter and more beautiful than the moon and the stars that I just couldn't help myself. I kissed her.

I don't know how to describe what happened next. It was like I'd been living my entire life preparing for this moment, and now that it was finally here I forgot all my training for it, but somehow it was the most wonderful experience I'd ever had anyway. It was sunshine, the scent of flowers, the glow of Tohru's eyes, the music of her laughter, the feeling of finally beating that damn Yuki . . .

If I try to describe it any more, I'd probably fail miserably, so just try to imagine it for yourself, okay?

It might have been seconds, minutes, hours, or days, but we finally broke apart, Tohru grinning, her eyes still shining.

_She's so beautiful I'm going to die._

"T . . . T . . . Tohru?" I began, gathering all the far-hidden reaches of my courage.

"Yes?"

"I . . . I like you," I mumbled, barely audible. "And not like a friend . . . like more than a friend . . ."

"What?"

Shit. I hadn't been loud enough.

_Say it! Say it! _ my heart encouraged me.

_Get out of there before you do something stupid,_ my brain grumbled.

_Say it or I'll make Tohru fall off the roof,_ threatened the weird writer fangirl.

Well, we couldn't have _that_, could we?

"I love you," I blurted out.

Her smile was so wide, you could've sunk the Titanic in it. I hoped that meant she loved me too.

I went to kiss her again . . . but a light bulb popped into my head. An idea. Something to make her a little less selfless . . . to make her realize how important she was . . .

"Can I kiss you?" I asked her.

"If . . . if it makes you happy . . ." she responded, not looking at me. Standard response for Tohru.

I shook my head. "That's not enough. It has to make you happy, too."

She considered the idea, then turned to me and said slowly, "I think . . . I think it would make me very happy."

"Good."

And then we kissed, and kissed some more, and went to sleep on the roof, my arm around her, the moon and the stars and maybe even a few strategically placed hidden cameras watching over us.

I like to think that they were all applauding for us.

Basically, it was the best night of my life. No contest.

Who knew that a cat and a rice bowl made such a great match?

* * *

**me: And speaking of holy shit ...**

**Kyo: *poof* Who's speaking of holy shit?**

**me: Hi, Kyo! What brings you to this humble author's note? Escaping from Lilah? (My friend who enjoys dragging Kyo around in reviews and Gmail chats and such, also known as FlyingSolo365)**

**Kyo: *nods* So who's speaking of holy shit?**

**me: You are. *points***

**Kyo: *reads* ... Oh.**

**me: If Jesus is holy, does he poop holy shit? Or does he poop at all? I mean, I guess everyone has to, but I don't think it's mentioned in the Bible or anything ... I'm not Christian, so I wouldn't know ... just something to ponder, I guess ...**

**Kyo: WHAT THE HELL DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING?**

**me: Does it have to? And no potty mouth!**

**Kyo: WHAT? WHY ARE YOU YELLING AT ME? YOU'RE THE ONE TALKING ABOUT HOLY SHIT!**

**me: True ... So, anyways,**

**Thank to you anyone who read this story, and to all my reviewers (here and on deviantART): heart977, FlyingSolo365, friutsbasketlovergirl, ChibiAnimeFreak, .71717, miki, nisa, annabee43 the non-member, Melissa1991, LaughsWithTears, AwEiRdOfOrEvEr, Tohru123, vampires2rocks, SeaTrollTakeover, Sky Fireheart, xxBreakingDawnRocksxx, Lorcain, ilvslaughinggor0123, table101, and Rhianimation.**

**Kyo: You forgot something.**

**me: What?**

**Kyo: A disclaimer?**

**me: A what?**

**Kyo: You know what it is.**

**me: Do I?**

**Kyo: Fine, I'll say it myself. OwlinAMinor DOES NOT own Fruits Basket or any of the characters in it. She also doesn't own Despicable Me or The Host by Stephanie Meyer. (_She's so pretty I'm going to die_ is a play on a line from Despicable Me and the last bit of conversation - aka Kyo's "brilliant" idea - was taken from the end of The Host).**

**me: More reviews = more chances of making world peace! :D**

**Kyo: And yet ... 0 times any number is 0.**

**me: *slaps Kyo* Shut up, stupid cat.**

**Kyo: *sigh* **

**me: Now run along, back to Lilah.**

**Kyo: *puppy dog face* But I don't like her!**

**me: And she's obsessed with you. GO! **

***POOF***


End file.
